The Stiller Defense and the Maginot Line

November 18, 2010 by Palmer Sucks

The Stillers Defense and the Maginot Line

The Stiller Defense and the Maginot Line

Special Commentary by
PalmerSucks

November 17, 2010

Students of World War
II history know well the tale of the Maginot Line, a series of concrete
fortifications that France built along its border with Germany in the late
1930s. The idea was to create a wall that could stop any advancing enemy, based
on lessons they�d learned in the last war. Upon completion, the French believed
they had constructed an invincible defensive line, which it would have been �
had they only been fighting World War I.

Instead the French
faced the modern German army, who, in a space of days, defeated this
�impenetrable� line by � get this � flying little gliders over it. The Maginot
Line had been built to stop any ground attack; the Germans simply said, hey, no
prob, we�ll just fly right over you. The mighty Maginot Line proved useless
against a new, different style of warfare � one that featured air power.

So what does this
have to do with the Stillers? I think you know if you watched the game Sunday
Night.

Like the Maginot
Line, the Stillers defense is equipped to stop any ground attack. And like the
Maginot Line, its weakness is exposed through the air.

The Patriots simply
said, hey, you�ve got that impenetrable ground defense, nobody runs on you
guys? No prob, we won�t bother � we�ll just fly right over you. And so they
did, throwing it up 43 times, mostly passes of the dink variety (what was that
about cheesy little gliders again?).

I want you to think
about that number again: 43. 43 passes is what teams who are behind and playing
catch-up usually throw; not teams who have the LEAD the whole game. 43 passes
and a few scattered runs � that�s how wide the Patsies detoured around the
Stillers� Maginot Line defense.

Frankly, I�m surprised
more teams don�t just chuck the run and pass all game against Pittsburgh.
Fortunately for the Stillers, most teams in the establish-the-run NFL don�t
roll that way.

Unfortunately, the
teams that do � the Pats and Colts of the league � are usually the teams
standing in the way of a Super Bowl appearance. And even the run-first teams
sometimes pull it out against the Stillers when they�re behind and finally
forced to pass � as witnessed by all the late-game breakdowns we�ve seen the
last few years.

Sunday Night�s
drubbing can mean two things now for the Stillers: a crash return to last
year�s later-season flop, or a final facing-up to reality. Because make no
mistake about it, if the Stillers don�t change some things, they�ll be flying
back to 2009 as if they�d stepped into a time machine.

A whooping like the
Steelers endured Sunday means looking at some cold, hard truths:

The
Stillers defense is overrated.
Notice I didn�t say �the Stillers defense sucks�; I simply mean it�s not
quite the beast it�s made out to be by the TV hypesters. The Steelers RUN
defense is awesome, but as a pass unit it�s average. The Patriots looked
at a defense featuring a lot of older, slower players, and took advantage
by spreading it out and passing. Some schematic changes are needed � and
fast.

Dick
LeBeau�s defense can�t handle Tom Brady: If it�s not obvious by now, it should be. Again,
that�s a schematic issue, the solution which we�ll get to shortly. But
it�s something the team has to face up to now.

Cutting
Jeff Reed is NOT the solution to all problems: Maybe it had to be done, but
scapegoating is another thing altogether. Some big names need to be called
out, starting with LeBeau, and going all the way up to Tomlin. Likewise,
some big-name players need to be called out. When was the last time
Woodley made a game-changing play? When was the last time Troy Pola did?
Nobody should be held too �sacred� for criticism.

LeBeau
ESPECIALLY needs to be called out because it�s not the first time this has
happened. The Saints used the same screw-the-run-and-dink-it playbook a few
weeks ago; the Patriots did it with Brady a few YEARS ago when the Pats didn�t
run it AT ALL the entire second half. But once again here comes Dick with the
same Maginot Line defense, applied regardless of opponent�s style. You�ve heard
the old definition of insanity as doing the same thing over and expecting a
different result; well then, Dick LeBeau must be a downright lunatic. Note to
Dick: you win by stopping the run in the REGULAR SEASON; the playoffs are a
different story. Time to can all this macho stop-the-run pride garbage, and get
with the times.

Speaking
of insane, here�s Bruce Arians!:
Note to Bruce � having your QB run around to buy time and get guys open is
NOT considered an NFL game plan. Unlike the Patriots, who came in with an
actual STRATEGY (see above) Bruce A. continued with what one writer here
calls the �grab bag� offense. It�s time to stop pulling plays out of a
hat; if Arians isn�t coming up with stuff designed around the other
defense�s packages and personnel, then Tomlin needs to replace him with
someone who does.

The
field is a joke that�s just not funny. Reed blamed a piece of loose turf for his missed kick
Sunday; you can bet his calling out of the field conditions had as much to
do with his getting the boot as his blown attempts. Anyone want to argue
with him about the turf, though? The fact is, the sloppy field is an
embarrassment to a showcase NFL franchise � sort of like Le Cirque
restaurant putting plastic silverware on its tables. That�s bad both for
the team�s image and its play.

The
defense can�t be managed the same way without Aaron Smith: I�ve said before that Smith is
the player that truly makes this defense go. Smith occupies space in a way
that allows LeBeau to use players like Polamalu to rove around and gamble;
without Smith, he can�t make the same moves.

It�s
a myth you have to have �balance� to win: The Saints did exactly what the
Pats did, throwing 46 passes and running only 21 times vs. the Stillers.
(Please note that, Mr. Rooney.) Therefore you must prepare sometimes to
stop the PASS first � because the PASS is what wins championships in the
modern NFL. Likewise, the obsession with running the ball is as antiquated
as a World War I tank.

The good news is, the
Stillers can go on to be a real contender � but ONLY IF they face up to facts
like these.�

Losing to New England
the way they did may turn out to be a blessing, because FINALLY the team may
learn it�s got to stop playing the same brand of defense all the time. The
Stillers should look at tape of Baltimore, the defense that treated Brady to
his lowest rating of the season.

The Ravens put
pressure on Brady � the Stillers must learn that the light rush and soft zone
simply won�t cut it against him. Brady averaged a healthy 8.1 YPA against the
Stillers � but how many times did he even throw it that far? Brady did what he
usually does against Dick�s Maginot Line defense: quick drops and short passes,
many of which found receivers so open, they could turn a 2-yard dump into a
10-yard �bomb.� There�s your high YPA.

The Patriots dictated
to the Stillers by scheme: they turned an attacking crew into a bunch of guys
REACTING to whatever they did. And by spreading the field and throwing, they
extended the TIME each play took. So instead of the defense spending, say,
three seconds to tackle a running back, they spent eight seconds rushing then
chasing down a receiver � that�s a LOT more energy expended. By the fourth
quarter your defense is just plain gassed.

So how do you counter
a team that says �screw the run, we�re going to pass�? You go right along with
them.

It seems simple, but
you have to have the courage to make changes: you play pass-first teams by
playing pass-first defense. A few ways to start:

Always
send someone at the QB, regardless of down and distance: Ignore the play fakes; assume
the QB�s going to pass and GO AT HIM. The idea is to hit the QB, not let
guys like Brady go entire games without needing their jerseys laundered.
Brady run fakes? Hit him. Brady hands off? Hit him anyway. Rule number
one: a QB who�s going to pass 40 times should be HURTING afterwards, win
or lose.

No
more soft zones: No
doubt the Pats saw the cushions the Stillers give their opponents and
drooled. A little more press coverage wouldn�t hurt. A few more collisions
WOULD � which is just the point. The Stillers like to rush three and drop
into cushy zones, leaving opposing QBs all kinds of time � this hasn�t
just failed against Brady, it�s nearly cost games against guys like Kerry Collins
and Chad Henne.

Play
pass defense even on first downs:
The Stillers have to find a way to work in quicker defenders � for example
by using nickel or even dime packages on first and second downs. So WHAT
if you invite the Patriots to run � that defeats THEIR whole purpose. The
idea is to turn around the conversation: to say �hey, you say screw the
run and want to pass? Fine. We�ll leave the run open and concentrate on
killing your quarterback and receivers.� This I guarantee: the LAST thing
the Pats want to do is run 12-play drives on the ground. Dictate to THEM
for a change � make them audible to runs sometimes based on the looks you
show pre-snap.

Speed,
speed, speed: Stiller
tacklers always seemed to arrive late Sunday, especially the linebackers.
Some LBs like Timmons are equipped for coverage, others like Woodley
aren�t � try swapping in the faster Worilds on passing downs. You can�t
always stop the quick-hit pass, but you CAN hit quickly after the catch.
Punish both the QB and the receivers every chance you get � that means you
need to get there FAST. Eventually Brady would adjust seeing Stiller
defenders not backing up � meaning taking deeper drops for deeper throws �
giving rushers more time to SMACK him.

������������ Permit me now a little rant on the subject: I saw a Stiller
DB slow up on the approach when Welker came���

������������ over the middle. Well SCREW THAT �
on a night like Sunday, the way the game was going, the best��

������������ thing that could�ve happened would
have been a total laying out. And if Der Fuhrer Goodell wants to fine��

������������ you, we�ll take up a little
collection. By the way, where was Der Fuhrer to get all outraged over
Ward�s��

������������ helmet shot? Funny, I haven�t
heard a peep. Maybe the rules just don�t apply to some players.

As for the offense,
well, let�s just say they get an �incomplete� after Sunday Night. I noticed
Mill killed Roethlisberger for his performance; I strongly disagree. In fact I
think Benji should get a medal after that one. How ANY quarterback could play
behind that poor excuse for an o-line is beyond me. Plus, it�s hard to get an
�A� when your receivers drop two sure TDs AND add to the insult by GIFTING the
other guys a cheap pick-return TD.

Here�s a suggestion for the o-line: start the best five guys
left on the roster. To me that�s
Essex, Foster, Pouncey, Kemo and Flozell. I can�t rip the poor shmuck who
played left tackle Sunday Night; he was simply out of his league. But Essex HAS
played the position, and if I�m not mistaken, filled in for the Stillers
before. I looked up Essex�s Northwestern bio, by the way, and found this:

General: Started
final three years of career at left tackle� His primary job as a left tackle
was protecting the quarterback�s blind side�

Maybe the Steelers
put him at the wrong position to begin with? In any case, here�s a guy who�s a
natural left-side o-lineman. Let him play his natural game.

Max Starks is
probably the unsung hero of the Stillers; the fact you never heard much about
him testified to the solid job he did at the o-line�s marquee position. He�s
grossly underrated, and I cringed when I heard he�d been placed on IR. That
leaves Essex as the next best option. Also, Foster MUST be given a shot to play
guard. At all costs, leave Adams on the right side, unless things get REALLY
desperate.

Speed up the WR line-up.
Randle-El is a shadow of himself; I�d no more start him than I would Jerome
Bettis at this point. I hated the release of Holmes (an absolutely assaholic move), but that�s water under
the stadium now. The Stillers should move on with a WR group consisting of
Wallace, Ward and Sanders � and activate Antonio Brown. Outside of Wallace,
Stiller receivers aren�t getting much separation; the team will have to risk
trading in some �veteran presence� for speed, even if it means less
experience.

I promise you the
Patriots and Tom Brady aren�t as good as they looked Sunday Night; they simply
know how to handle the Stillers� Maginot Line Defense. A defense that matches
up with them maybe worse than any other in the league. Change things, and
you�ve got a shot in a potential re-match. Keep things the same, and say
goodbye.

And one more thing:
as much as the Patsies got to yuk it up, I�d be asking myself one question if I
were them: what if we don�t get that flukey pick-six courtesy of Randle-El�s
butterfingers? Take away that one play, and you have this fact: the Stillers
still would�ve threatened to win on a night when they couldn�t have been
sloppier, and the Patriots couldn�t have been crisper. Like the Saints
game, the opponents �A� game still needed a key turnover play to win against
the Stillers �D+� game. All the Stillers need to do against both these teams is
to upgrade to a �B.� Keep this in mind before you all panic over this one.

The Stillers Will Go as Far as Their Offense Will Take Them

I�ve said it before,
I�ll say it again: the 2010 Stillers will go as far as their OFFENSE will take
them. As red-hot as Brady was, the score was only 10-3 at the half (which
should�ve been 10-7 except for some drops). The Stillers defense may be
overrated in some ways, but they do generally shine in the all-important
points-allowed category. The defense shut out New England the entire second
quarter; it was up to the offense to score enough points to keep the team
alive. They failed. The Stiller offense must help the defense by GAMEPLANNING
pass-first and assuming it�s going to have to score often and keep up in a
shoot-out against the elite teams.

During the game,
Brady was seen screaming at his teammates to fire them up � maybe next time,
he�ll be doing it after getting knocked on his ass a few times. Even in victory
he was his prima-donna spoiled crybaby self, lobbying the refs for a flag after
Woodley�s love tap. (But what do you expect from a guy who will cry to the refs
about something
his own teammate did?).

I know I hate the
Patriots. I�d like to hate them for something other than taking the Stillers to
the �shed again. Here�s to the re-match � provided some much-needed changes are
made.

(The views of PalmerSucks are necessarily those of Stillers.com � and should
be.)